How fitness can change your mental health – The Story of Just Geen

A heartbreak transformed this young soul into an advocate for healthy living; the experience unlocked a latent passion for fitness. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and this was indeed the case for Gina. What started as an urge to get out of her emotional slump, led her on a path of renewal.

The Story of Just Geen.

“I just wanted to go for a run, and when I did, I found it therapeutic. Each time I went for a run, I would feel so much better.”

Have you been heartbroken?… Your world instantly transforms. Memories of feeling intoxicated and high on love evaporate. You are transported into a dark cold room with an intangible entity that has a sole purpose to absorb every inch of your energy. Your thoughts become clouded and irrational thoughts comfort you; simple tasks become difficult while your body welcomes pain with any movement.

The experience of a heartbreak is one of the hardest challenges Gina has ever faced. Her first run lasted no longer than 4 minutes. However, she knew she had to get out of her house. The feeling of not being trapped by concrete walls took her mind away from the negative place her body, mind and soul remained hostage.

“Inhaling the fresh air soothed me; it became an obsession. I would time my runs to challenge myself to do better each time .”

Fitness found Gina.

“Before I was the type of person to go the gym a few weeks leading up to a holiday.” Just like many people, after reaching her body goal the motivation to keep going to the gym faded once she returned from vacation.

“In the past, I only wanted to look good for a holiday but this time was different. My goal was not to look good; I wanted to feel good. So I kept going to the gym until I felt better. It was a gradual process and before I knew, it became a lifestyle.”

Gina began blogging her journey online six years ago; she wanted a place to document her progress. Working out in the gym was transforming Gina’s mental wellbeing and she wanted to share her story with others. Unbeknown to Gina, she underwent a life-changing transformation like no other – Just Geen was born.

“I got to a point where all I could think about was gym. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I would imagine being in one. I became a gym geek; reading books, researching different training regimes, constantly online learning about muscles.”

Even though Gina wasn’t a personal trainer, she received several requests to train other people. The laws of attraction worked it’s magic and the Muay Thai gym where Gina trained were looking for female personal trainers. They offered her a free placement on a course for her to become a personal trainer; Gina grabbed that opportunity with both hands.

“I remember my first client; I only charged her £10 per an hour. She lived in North London, and I would travel all the way from Essex to meet her. I didn’t gain financially, but I had so much fun training her. I wasn’t just training her; I was training with her – it became my social life.”

They say, when you are doing your passion you will never work a day in your life and training people did not feel anything like work for Gina. “I was working in an office job in Canary Wharf when I became a personal trainer. I trained people at the gym during my lunch break and after work. It got to a point where I trained people nearly every day after work. I began to flirt with the idea that I could do this full time.”

Even though she enjoyed training people, Gina understood that she was running a business and she needed to make a living. She had to ask herself tough questions…Do I have enough clients to meet my basic financial needs? Would I have a consistent flow of income for the next 5 years? How can I reach more clients and is it feasible?

“I would feel like I have failed my clients if I was working with them forever. Caterpillars turn into butterflies and fly away, and that is what I try to do with all my clients.” Gina’s primary objective is to teach them and guide them to a place where they achieve their goals and can continue without her.

“The butterflies must fly.”

It became a natural step to strengthen her business even further, and the self-proclaimed food fanatic realised the importance of nutrition in fitness and health. “My dream career would be a company paying me only to eat; I would be set for life; I love food; cooking and eating it.” Gina incorporated food into her business model – Just Geen’s Kitchen provides a meal prep service which offers homemade Afro-Caribbean inspired healthy meals.

Set on her mission to turn people into butterflies, Gina has released her debut book, ‘The Healthy Alternative – Pan Afro Caribbean Edition’.

https://justgeen.com/product/e-book/

“The concept is to show that you can still eat traditional dishes while living a healthy lifestyle, you just have to be smart and opt for better ingredients.”

Her ebook guides you through her favourite Afro Caribbean dishes, with beautiful images and easy to read instructions to guide you on your way to eating healthy Afro Caribbean delicacies. The book allows gym enthusiasts to maintain their gains and reap the nutritional value of flavoursome food.

Just Geen stems from a passion for motivating others, especially those who are feeling low and living in fear. And the release of her eBook is one of the crucial tools she is using to transform people’s bodies and minds through the food we eat.

“The fear of not achieving a goal or not being successful has prevented me from even taking steps to start. I am too harsh on myself. Fear was a big part of my journey, and I allowed fear to cripple me – 2018 is the year for living; feel the fear and live it.”